Paragons
"It is not the strongest or the most intelligent that survive, but those most able to adapt." P'aragons, also known as Superhumans or Metahumans, are a rare sub-species of evolved humanoids originating from the planet Earth. As a whole, most members of this species look like standard humans in physical appearance. Their primary distinction as a species is the presence of a genetic mutation that often results in superhuman powers that allow them to perform tasks beyond the capacity of homo sapiens. Paragons Definition One of the great difficulties posed by paranormals is where to draw the dividing line between "normal" and "paranormal". For example, no recorded athlete had run a mile in under four minutes until Roger Bannister came along in 1954 and did it in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. He did something no human being has ever done up to that point: so was he paranormal? Are all those who have broken his record since paranormal? Likewise, are genius-level intellects or people with extraordinary talents in art or mathematics paranormals? It's difficult to say. Generally speaking, the term "Paranormal" and "Paragon" is reserved for abilitis ''clearly beyond the scope of normal human capabilities. Some even limit it to abilities or feats that violate scientific laws as we know them, so-called "miracles" or "supernatural" powers. '''Awakening Paragons experience what is commonly called the Awakening when they first manifest their paranormal potential. Awakenings seem to most often occur as a reaction to some powerful stimulus where the Paragon feels intense, primal emotion--terror, rage, lust, joy--pure fight or flight survival instincts. Awakenings are generally small-scale; usually only slightly destructive, and sometimes the Paragon reports a "quiet" Awakening, where they feel an intense feeling of bliss or "nirvana". Some, however, are dramatic and forceful. An awakening often happens in reaction to a situation that provokes the necessary emotions (and their associated bio-chemical reactions). In particular, near-death situations commonly trigger awakenings in latent Paragons; the powerful rush of fear, excitement and adrenaline "pushes" the latent Paragon to awaken and become paranormal. 'Origin Chasers' Given what is known about awakenings, some people try to deliberately trigger an awakening and become paranormal by inducing situations and feelings associated with an awakening. They figure, under the right circumstances, they will manifest powers if they have the potential (and everybody wants to believe that they do). Such people are known as "Origin Chasers" or sometimes "Sparkers", for "trying to spark" an awakening. Unfortunately, the kinds of situations associated with awakenings can be extremely dangerous and some Origin Chasers believe they have to be as genuine as possible in order to work. So a "life threatening situation" with no risk of actual harm isn't enough. Some try extreme sports; things like skydiving or bungee jumping, but self-proclaimed experts believe you have to jump out of the plane without a parachute; an all-or-nothing risk for glory. Naturally, each year, this results in multiple deaths and in many more permanent injuries from failed awakening attempts. The darkly humorous joke that this is "evolution in action", but authorities and mental health professionals worry about and warn against the dangers of Origin Chasing. An extreme example of the Origin Chaser pheomenon is the so-called "Spark Party", an event where a group of Origin Chasers or thrill-seekers get together and cooperate to try and provoke a paranormal awakening (and often have some fun and excitement in the process). The typical spark party is either a group of young people (teens to mid-20's) who engage in a 24-hours (or longer) party, complete with heavy drug use and gallons of alcohol, to try to push their endurance to the limit. Some cults use "arcane rituals" or suicide pact methods to facilitate their "ascenion to a higher state of being". In all cases, the results are usually tragic, ending in one or more deaths, with the survivors psychologically scarred by the experience. Some Spark Parties have killed all the participants. What's worse, on a very rare occasio, an Origin Chaser or Spark Party is successful in producing a true paranormal. Those who study Paragons believe it's a matter of random chance. Someone with a laten metagene is bound to go to one of these parties and pushed to the point of Awakening. The problem is that there's really no way of determing your potential beforehand. 'Abilities' Paranormal abilities are the defining trait that separates Paragons from human beings. While more information on the genetics and a list of known powers can be found below, this section will discuss basic classifications of abilities. Physical Abilities Some Paragons have enhanced or truly superhuman physical abilities, most famously superhuman strength, speed, durability, agility or senses. These often defy our understanding of things like leverage, mass, gravity and so forth. For example, many super-strong Paragons can do things like lift trucks, train cars and even small buildings or bridges without being crushed by the weight. Mental Abilities Paranormals display a number of enhanced mental faculties, including memory, calculation, speed of processing information, acquisition of new learning and so forth. For example, there are Paragons capable of performing calculations faster than a supercomputer, or abosrob information from text as quickly as they can look at the page, reading volumes hundreds of pages long with perfect retention in minutes. Conventional intelligence testing methods are usually inadequate for such individuals. A particular paranormal mental capability is heightened inventiveness. There are some Paragons capable of designing and building technology more advanced than present scientific knowledge and limitations would allow. Parasensory Abilities Beyond enhanced senses, these abilities are truly paranormal, enabling the Paragon to hear the thoughts of others, to view the history of an object or place by touching it, speaking to spirits and other psychic phenomena. Savants Some Paragons display superhuman levels of skill, often with little or no formal training or practice, a kind of paranormal "knack" for a particular skill or area of study. Such Paragons are commonly known as "savants", although they are some of the most difficult to positively identify. Savants are often tagged with their given area of expertise, such as tech, combat, art, math and so forth. A common pattern for Savants is spontaneous development of a skill; ie, they could not paint one day, then they experienced an Awakening and now they can paint better than Rembrandt. Some become savants in well-loved fields, regardless of previous skill or experience. Miracles The last, and broadest, category of paranormal abilities is often known as "miracles". It includes any power outwardly defying science but more specifically focuses on abilites that are not the enhancement of a physical, mental or sensory capability. Teleportation, Cryokinesis, Concussive Blasts, Chronokinesis, Telekinesis, Phasing, Invisibility and other abilities are grouped into this category. Although the term has religious implications, secular scientists also use it to indicate the unknown nature and mechanism of paranormal abilities, what one expert called the "then a miracle occurs" part of the equation. Some powers can almost be explained by science but that miracle, no matter how big or little, needs to occur somewhere down the line. Minor Powers While the most famous Paragons can throw cars, run faster than sound, read throughts and control the elements, they represent only ~5% of the total Paragon population. The vast majority of Paragons are...well...no so impressive. Although all miraculous paranormal powers involve an unexplainable element, not all are spectacular or showy. Indeed, some powers are quite minor, although it is no less impossible in terms of how they work. For example, a paranormal who can turn water into wine and nothing else. It's impressive from scientific standpoint (and potentially a theological one) but not terribly useful unless the Paragon wants to start a winery. Just as the exact mechanism for powers remains unknow, so too do the reasons why some Paragons are far more powerful than others. There are those with truly godlike powers, while others can tie their shoes without using their hands. Some examples include: --The ability to attain a perfect weight and toned physique without the need of exercise or diet. --Various food-oriented powers, such as the ability to produce salt from your hands, to produce coffee out thin air, the ability to carbonate a beverage, the ability to control milk (Lactokinesis), etc. --Functional Gaydar, allowing the paranormal to definitively know anyone's sexual orientation simply by making eye contact. --Gender Swapping. That is, the ability to switch between a male and female version of yourself. --The ability to function as a living remote control or internet modem. --The ability to flawlessly predict the next song on the radio or to receive an incoming text message before someone else does. --Emmision of scented perfume from sweat glands, with conscious control over the different scents. --The power to transform worn clothing into other outfits that fit the wearer perfectly. --A clairvoyant ability to read any written material at normal speed by touch, including a closed book or sealed envelope. --The power to control coin flips or die rolls, but not the outcome of any other random event. History 'The Event' Starting on New Year's Day in the year 1990, increasingly strange events occur around the world, minor enough to be dismissed but unusual enough to draw attention. Rains of frogs, crickets, fish or small stones occur around the world (sometimes with a clear sky). Incidents of spontaneous human combustion are reported, where the human being burns to ash without any heat damage to the area or even their clothing. Unexplained lights and noises, often associated with unidentified flying objects or "ghost lights" moving through dark and abandoned areas. Poltergeist phenomena, including sudden unexplained sensations of cold, free-standing liquids freezing at room temperature, objects suddenly moving or even flying violently across a room, glasses spontaneously shattering and so forth. The sudden appearance of unexplained objects, such as four ticking clocks, all set to the correct time, appearing in the middle of Times Square, chiming the hour, then disappearing. Or the steel pyramids in rural Japan each half a meter high, appearing four meters in the air above a Shinto shrine, where they hovered for 52 minutes before vanishing. Most curious was the "Babel Effect", where an entire town in Eastern Europe lost the ability to communicate with each other, developing a kind of spontaneous aphasia, which eventually reversed itself after a few hours. Conversely, there was a situation in Chile of a man suddenly gaining the ability to understand every spoken language for several days before losing the ability entirely. These situations continued to occur until October 13, 1990, when an unscheduled Total Eclipse brought with it strange, oily strom clouds and abnormal weather phenomena. Pink and purple lightning touched down alongside hailstones the side of basketballs, before a pulse was felt by every living thing on the planet. This pulse awakened something inside those with a latent metagene. 'Aftermath' April 8, 1991 marked the first public appearance of a Paragon when Omegaman, who single-handedly stopped a terrorist bombing in New York City in the middle of the afternoon and caught by dozens of camera crews. Many consider this the beginning of the Age of the Superhero. With the emergence of Omegaman, a chain reaction was triggered as more Paragons awakened and came forward. The common trait was that all of them came forward wearing masks, under an alias. Many used their powers to fight crime. Many more used them to commit them. The first large-scale public act of supervillainy was an attack on New York City by Doctor Nefarious, who was defeated soundly by Omegaman. Across the world, battles began to rage between these self-styled "superheroes" and "supervillains". Billions of dollars in property damage were accrued in less than a year nationwide in the United States alone. During this time, the first superhuman prisons were instituted by philanthropist Anthony Montenegro, who used the prisons to hold those who could not be held elsewhere. These prisons utlized technology that could nullify specifc Paragon powers, making them effectively human while wearing their collars. 'Public Response' Public response was initially positive toward the growing Paragon phenomena. In the immediate months following Omegaman's appearance, peddler's made more than $100 million on bootleg merchandise alone. Videos of the battles began to show up on television. A clip show of superhero battles became the highest-rated non-scripted series on ABC in the fall of 1993. However, with the defeat of Doctor Nefarious came an increase in super-crime. Millions in damages, theft and loss of life prompted an abrupt shift in attitude from public officials and a violent reaction from the public. Mexico instituted a "Kill on Sight" policy for any masked vigilantes or criminals. England began imprisoning their Paragons for life, while other countries reacted even more violently. The landmark Jester Case caused an even greater reaction, as the villain's testimony--that he was trying to kill the vigilante Watchman because he believed his presence alone put others at risk--gave rise to the belief that the presence of "superheroes" like Watchman only drew the attention of criminals like a Lightning Rod of Weird: the heroes were not solving the problem, they were its cause. In the United States, several large-scale, very violent riots occured in several major cities including New York, Detroit, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Philidelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles. Many Paragons--both criminals and heroes--were murdered in the events. This led to the establishment of "Sanctuary Camps", where Paragonss could be taken to hide and be kept safe from the public. However, these camps were really concentration and quarantine camps, where Paragons were kept, drugged, studied and in some cases, murdered. The camps received a mixed response, with extremists on both the left and the right praising them and others claiming they were a violation of basic human rights. 'The Superman Act' Montenegro was one of the loudest voices in protest of the camps. He claimed the prisons he had established were safe and secure. He also insisted that if super-powered criminals were too much for police to handle, perhaps Paragons should police themselves. In June of 1995, Blackburn spearheaded the controversial policy known as the Guardian Angel Act. With the support of several key US Senators and Congressman, as well as Omegaman himself, Montenegro fought for months to give Paragons the same basic rights as homo sapiens and to make superhero-vigilante activity legal in the United States, under certain limitations. While it did not pass during its initial vote, things changed after the mass jailbreak of super criminals across the country thanks to the efforts of the Doctor Nefarious, who made his first true attempt at world domination using his "Doomsday Device". During this time, hundreds of criminals were apprehended by the superheroes who had been outcast and hunted. Millions of lives were saved across America thanks to the brave efforts of the Paragons. The most important event, however, was the formation of the first super team, The Guardians, who managed to defeat Doctor Nefarious' team, The Elite, during their attack on the White House. As the world saw a team of superheroes save the president, and not the Secret Service, their tunes began to change. Following the events of The Elite's attempted coup, Montenegro managed to resurrect the Superman Act, where it once again went to vote. Thanks to overwhelming public support, the Superman Act was passed. This allowed the following provisions: *Superhero activity was legal but must be response only. No "looking for trouble". Additionally, vigilante activity would be tolerated only against superhuman criminals. *Superheroes were permitted in the United States but only if they did not kill. *All Superheroes are subject to the authority of the Paranormal Regulatory Agency at any time. 'The Golden Age' Superheroes once again found themselves back in the public consciousness and enjoyed "The Golden Age of Superheroism", which lasted from 1995 to 2007. The Guardians were the first superteam but were by no means the last. The Blue Bombers found themselves in San Francisco; the Justice Men protected Phildelphia and Pittsburgh; the mysterious Cabal were based in the St. Louis/Minneapolis area. Super teams cropped up in major cities around the world and, in addition to saving lives, being a superhero quickly became big business. Superhero-centric documentaries sold amazingly well and some of the first reality shows followed superheroes or people competing for open spots on lesser-known super teams. Even some corporations had superteams employed under their brand; Nike, McDonald's, Kellogs, Apple and BP Oil are some of the most infamous attempts at corporate heroism. Public support of superheroes was at an all-time high, but so were rates of supervillainy and violent crimes. Certain political and social figures spoke out against the Paragons, claiming their presence as dangerous and their continued operation around the world to put others at risk. The loudest of these voices was prominent businessman, hotelier and casino operator Cave Richardson. Richardson was vicious in his opinion of Paragons and often declared he saw no difference between "the masked lunatics showboating while they flagrantly damage public and private property with no consequence and the masked psychotics who murder, steal and threaten our very way of life". He was also on record as saying that, "They need to go back to the camps. That was the only good decision the world's governments made in regards to this menace. We need to round them up and put them back in the camps". Robertson was regarded as a harmless, if loudmouthed, lunatic who was only heard due to his billions of dollars. Aside from that, things continued on as they had for years. Until the day Dr. Nefarious returned. 'Death of the Guardians' In 2008, Dr. Nefarious (who most thought dead after his zeppelin crashed into the sea a year prior) returned to the scene in a big way, launching missiles on landmarks in various cities around the country. He publicly called out Omegaman on a hacked broadcast that found its way to every television screen, tablet, mobile phone and computer in America. Omegaman and Dr. Nefarious did battle in New York City, where Dr. Nefarious beat Omegaman in battle. The rest of the Guardians arrived to help their comrade, which was when Nefarious unleashed his secret weapon: he brought a team of his own, comprised of the twelve most dangerous villains in the world. The two teams had a titanic battle that leveled much of the city and ended with the Diabolical Dozen killing the Guardians in combat. Dr. Nefarious, after achieving his victory, disappeared as mysteriously as he'd arrived. Things only went downhill from there. 'Modern Times' With the deaths of the Guardians, other heroes came out of the woodwork to try to fill their boots. This ended in disaster; those heroes who weren't slaughtered by the Guardian's old villains or crushed beneath the weight of their responsibilities were arrested, beaten or killed in accidents arising from improper superpower training. Richardson's voice quickly became the loudest on the scene. Paragons were a menace and slowly, people began agreeing with him. He ran for President in 2012 and won. When he was elected, he opened a Supernatural Prison in every state (several in a few states) and assembled the Anti-Vigilante Taskforce. The Superman Act was repealed in 2013 and various anti-superhero legislation was established in its place. Today, supervillains operate mostly uncontested, leading to a generation of rowdy assholes doing whatever they have to make a name for themselves, often fighting each other. The results of these battles are devastating. The PRA works overtime to bring these renegades to justice, resulting in even more property damage and loss of life. Richardson was re-elected in 2016. That same year, he managed to pass an Amendmant to the Constitution that removed the limit of two Presidential terms and has announced plans for re-election in 2020, an announcement that was met with deafening applause. Physical Characteristics Paragons are a result of a rare genetic mutation in humans. This meta-gene is naturally occurring. Those born with the gene have no powers at birth and can live their whole lives without realizing what they are. The overwhelming number of Paragons appear human in every way. They possess the same basic musculature, internal workings and psychology of homo sapiens. While a few have the appearance of other creatures, with some looking completely alien in nature, the majority are human in appearance. The United States studies indicates that there are around 40,181 documented, confirmed, living Paragons in the United States alone (meaning about .02%, or 1 in 4,500 people possess the gene). While it is widely believed that Paragons are a modern phenomena, there is evidence to suggest that The 2000 Event was not the first Event and that Paragons maye have existed for centuries. 'General Abilities' Paragonss are all known to possess certain common traits beyond their unique superpowers. '--Enhanced Strength:' Most, if not all Paragons possess a degree of strength above that of a normal human of their size and build. '--Durability: '''Paragonss are far more resistant to physical injury than homo sapien, as they can withstand knife attacks, blows by vehicles and superstrength, impacts from long falls, severe burns and gunshot wounds that would kill a normal human. '--Enhanced Stamina:' Paragons tire slower than humans, but they cannot go indefinitely. '--Enhanced Healing Factor:' On average, Paragonss heal faster than a normal person, and they very rarely develop scars. 'Superpowers' The primary trait that set Paragons apart from homo sapiens are their capacity for superpowers. Paragons possess a brain anomaly that has imbued them with some kind of superhuman ability, allowing them to perform tasks that are beyond the capability of homo sapien. Their bodies tend to evolve to allow them to perform their ability without killing themselves. For example, a Paragon with the ability to run at supersonic speed will have developed the physicality to protect them while moving at such high speeds, or those with electrokinesis having a resistance to electricity. These powers are often accompanied by difficulties in social psychology, as a Paragon's perspective is skewed by their abilities. This makes relating to humans difficult at times. For some, this can mean inclusion somewhere in the Autism Spectrum. For others, this can mean a short temper, schizophrenia and other mental or social disorders. It seems the rapid evolution and adaptation that occurs to the human body when it gains a power often triggers a negative psychological reaction. This goes a long way to explaining the tendency many Paragons have toward becoming criminals. It is impossible to determine the power any specific individual will exhibit as a Paragon. There seem to be thousands of variables that determine a Paragon's power. It seems to be based primarily on biology and genetic makeup, although mental factors are sometimes thought to play a role. Those who develop power as a result of outside factors (see below) often develop powers related to that circumstance; ie, someone is struck by lightning and can then run at superhuman speed. Most Paragons possess a single ability, which often evolve and take on different aspects. It is almost unheard of for a Paragon to possess two or more unrelated abilities. 'Secondary and Tertiary Mutations' While rare, this phenomenon entails heightened mutation on the part of the Paragon. This often involves the emergence of an additional power that is different from their original power, or an ability that functions from a different source. These are usually minor in nature and do not alter or affect their primary powers. In some rare cases, the development of a secondary or teriary mutation comes in the form of a dramatic physical mutation, such as an alteration in skin color or texture, the growth of horns, wings, claws, a tail or some other major physical alteration. 'List of Known Powers' The following is a list of all known superhuman powers at the beginning of the Paragons campaign: *'Absorption, Elemental:' The ability to absorb various forms of elemental energy, such as fire, electricity and sonic energy and redirect it in some way. *'Absorption, Energy:' The ability to absorb radioactive energy, kinetic energy and other forms of physical energy and redirect it in some way. *'Acid Generation:' The power to secret highly corrosive acid from one's pours or through saliva. Can sometimes be hardened into a sort of mucus membrane and used as a whip or leash. *'Adaptation:' The ability to physically adapt to any environment. *'Adoptive Muscle Memory:' The ability to perfectly copy a skill simply by observing it. *'Aerokinesis:' The ability to mentally control winds and air. *'Alternate Form:' The ability to physically change form, usually into a stronger and more brutal one, that is usually inhuman in appearance. *'Animal Communication:' The ability to speak with animals. *'Animal Mimicry:' The ability to magically copy traits from various totem animals. *'Animal Physiology:' Possessing the physiology of an anthropomorphic animal. *'Animation:' The ability to animate and control inanimate and inorganic matter. *'Armor Growth:' The ability transform one's skin into incredibly durable and thick armor (which can appear to be bone, a chitonous rock, organic metal and the like). *'Artistic Animation:' The ability to grant sentience to anything you personally draw. *'Biokinesis:' The ability to control the bodily systems of others and yourself, healing wounds, curing disease and even taking away blindness or deafness. Of course, the inverse is also true. *'Bone Manipulation:' The ability to cause exponential bone growth, using your own bones as weapons and even makeshift armor. *'Breath:' Possessing some kind of paranormal breath ability, such as acid, cold, fire, hurricane, shock, smoke or toxic breath. *'Centrifugal Force Manipulation:' The ability to spin really, really fast and exert a small amount of control over the centrifugal forces around you. *'Chaos Manipulation:' A strange ability that is not always the same between two people. Often deals with theoreticals and potentially dimensional travel. Very close to withcraft. *'Chronokinesis:' The power to exert a small amount of control over your personal timeline. *'Clairvoyance: The ability to throw one's senses somewhere their body isn't and sometimes even through the eyes of another. *'''Concussive Blast: The ability to generate an intense blast of hard light. *'Contagion:' The ability to generate diseases and bacteria. *'Cryokinesis:' The ability to generate and control ice/snow/frigid temperatures. *'Density Control:' The ability to manipulate your personal density, becoming incredibly light or an immovable wall. *'Dream Manipulation:' The ability to alter and control the dreams of others. *'Duplication:' The ability to create a copy of yourself, though this copy has a different personality. *'Elasticity:' The ability to stretch your body beyond any natural length or form. *'Elemental Mimicry:' The ability to take on the form of anything you touch, such as stone or steel. *'Electrokinesis: '''The ability to generate electrical pulses capable of shutting down electrical devices within a certain radius. *'Empathic Manipulation:' The ability to alter the emotional state of others. *'Enhances Senses:' Physical senses well beyond the range exhibited by normal humans. *'Explosive Touch:' The ability to kinetically charge an object by touch to the point of exploding on impact. *'Fear Inducement:' The ability to manipulate and weaponize the fears of others. *'Flight:' The ability to affect one's personal field of gravity and propel through the air by force of will. *'Florakinesis:' The ability to control and speak to plant life. *'Force Fields:' The ability to psionically generate a protective shield. *'Friction Manipulation:' The ability to increase or decrease the amount of friction in your general area. *'Gaseous Form:' The ability to turn into some kind of gas. *'Genetic Memory:' The ability to call on skills and memories of your ancestors. *'Granulation:' The ability to turn into a sand-like, silicon based form. *'Gravity Manipulation:' The ability to affect gravitons, increasing or decreasing it to achieve a variety of effects. *'Growth:' The ability to greatly increase your size. *'Hair Manipulation:' The ability to grow your hair at will and animate it. *'Heat Generation:' The ability to generate insane amounts of heat through your hands. *'Hydrokinesis:' The ability to control water with your mind. *'Hyper Adrenal:' Utilize fight or flight response at will to gain heightened physical attributes at the expense of another. *'Hyper Intelligence:' Increased cognitive function, bestowing superhuman intellect on the user. *'Hypnotic Voice:' The ability to hypnotize others, increasing their suggestibility, simply by talking. *'Illusions:' The ability to trick the minds of others' into experiencing sensations that aren't really there. Also called Hallucination Inducement. *'Immortality:' Various abilities that allow the user to stay alive indefinitely, such as Reincarnation, Resurrection, etc. *'Invisibility:' The ability to bend light and become invisible to the human eye. *'Kinetic Charge:' The ability to trigger a bio-chemical reaction and launch yourself like a cannonball. *'Leaping:' The ability to jump around far past what humans should be able to do. *'Leech:' The ability to absorb and copy the powers of others. Usually has severe limitations. *'Light Manipulation:' The ability to generate and manipulate light particles. *'Magnetism:' The ability to manipulate the magnetic field of an object, thereby allowing the user to control any metallic objects nearby. *'Mind Control:' The ability to exert your will onto the mind of another, forcing them to obey your will. *'Negate Powers:' The ability to suppress the metagene of others. *'Omnilinguism:' The ability to speak and understand any spoken or written language or code. *'Ooze:' The ability to assume a clay-like form or a puddle-like liquid form. *'Phasing:' The ability to walk through solid matter. *'Pheromone Control:' Can manipulate pheromones to control other people's minds or to induce an emotion. *'Portals:' The ability to generate tears in reality/miniature black holes to allow a doorway between two distant locations. *'Possession:' The ability to mentally override the body of another person, though your original body remains unconscious. *'Power Transferral: The ability to take the power from one person, hold onto it and give it to someone else, sometimes to disastrous consequences. *'''Precognition: The ability to see glimpses of the future through various means. *'Prehensile Tongue/Tail:' The ability to use one's tongue or tail (or similar appendage, like a tentacle if you have one) like another hand. *'Psionic Constructs:' The ability to generate weapons and other objects out of psionic energy. *'Psychometry:' The ability to view the history of an object or even an area you are touching. *'Pyrokinesis:' Produce binary chemicals which react at different points of excretion on the body to produce a violent thermal reaction capable of starting intense conflagrations. *'Radiation Control:' The ability to control various forms of radioactive energy. *'Regeneration:' The ability to near-instantaneously heal from injuries and even regrow lost limbs/bodily organs. *'Shadow Manipulation:' The ability to extinguish photons and control shaodws. *'Shapeshifting, Animals:' The ability to change shape into an animal you have observed firsthand. *'Shapeshifting, Human:' The ability to change your shape into another human you have observed firsthand. *'Shrinking:' The ability reduce your size (down to half an inch!) though you retain your mass, making you into a sort of human bullet. *'Sonic Control:' The ability to control and produce intense sound waves. In some cases, this power allows limited flight capability. *'Suffocation:' The ability to create a vacuum in a limited area. *'Superhuman Agility:' Possessing agility and hand-eye coordination far beyond that of any human being, allowing the user to perform near-impossible physical tasks of athleticism. *'Superhuman Durability:' Possessing durability and resistance to physical harm surpassing that of any other person, to the point of being bullet-proof and near impossible to harm. *'Superhuman Movement:' The ability to get around in a non-traditional way, such as burrowing, swimming, crawling on walls or swinging via webs or other threads. *'Superhuman Speed:' The ability to run faster than other Paragons, moving faster than the human eye can perceive. *'Superhuman Strength:' Possessing strength far surpassing a human being, such as being able to pick up cars, knock down walls, bend steel and other incredible feats. *'Tattoo Empowerment:' The ability to psionically make one's tattooes come to reality. *'Technopath:' The ability to mentally communicate with and control technology. *'Telekinesis:' The ability to affect your surroundings through force of will. *'Telepathy:' The ability to read and effect the thoughts and memories of others. *'Teleportation:' The ability to transdimensionally "jump" from one location to another without occupying the space in between. *'Tephrakinesis:' The ability to control ash and smoke, as well as taking its form. *'Terrakinesis:' The ability to send shockwaves into the earth, enabling the user to control stone, dirt and earth in their immediate vicinity. *'Transmutation:' The ability to alter the physical and chemical composition of something, as well as turning an object or creature into something else. *'Vision:' The ability to visually perceive the world in paranormal ways, such as X-Ray vision or the ability to view the elctromagnetic spectrum, or to emit peculiar energy from one's eyes, such as heat vision or cold vision. *'Weather Control:' The ability directly influence and control the weather through force of will. 'Breeding' Children of Paragons most often have abilities, though this differs depending on the parentage. If both parents of a Paragon child are Paragons themselves, then there is a huge chance that the child will themselves have abilities. Sometimes they have the exact same power as their parent. However, seeing as powers can vary to an extreme degree based on currently unknown variables, it is not uncommon for children to have radically different powers altogether from their parents. So, if the parent of a child has superhuman speed while the other has telekinesis, it is not out of the question for the child to develop either power, or even something like pyrokinesis or flight. It all depends on genetics. Siblings rarely have the same power. Neither of these results are common when crossbreeding between Paragons and humans. Familial power similarities are not exactly passed from parent to child. While the two species can breed, fertilization is difficult and often results in unsuccessful pregnancies; only one in six of these children survive to full term. This is the primary explanation for the relative lack of Paragonss if the Multiple Event theory is to be believed. However, it should be noted that all children of even one Paragon parent are Paragons themselves, even if they do not themselves have powers, as they posses the latent meta-gene; the gene is always passed on and even if not active, it is still present. It is only in extreme cases when the child of a human/paranormal coupling is born with no metagene. 'Habitat' Paragons are native to the planet Earth of the Sol system. They are capable of surviving and thriving in any environment a human can, and also some that are so harsh that other humans cannot. This, of course, is highly dependent upon the individual mutation. Additionally, some mutations enable survival on completely alien worlds. 'Diet' Paragons are able to eat everything humans eat, with just as varied a pallette. In some cases (again, depending on the mutation) certain Paragons can eat metals, stone, magma or even undergo photosynthesis in order to gain sustenance. Classification When dealing with Paragons, it is always a good idea to understand how each is classified. The basic classifications are listed below. 'Prime Paragons' A Prime Paragon is one born with the gene and awakens naturally, though the power will not activate unless some kind of stress or pressure is on the Paragon in question, or if they are experiencing powerful emotions, usually some time during puberty, though it can activate later in some cases. These Paragons are significantly rarer than others, but numbers are growing in recent years. 'Awakened Paragons' Through an external source, a human being is exposed to an intense source of theoretical particles, with electricity or various forms of radiation often working as a cataylist. These circumstances are not always required however, but circumstances that lead to an Awakened Paragon are rarely repeatable. It should be noted only those with a latent metagene will undergo an Awakening, except in the rarest of circumstances. 'Artificial Paragons' On several occasions, people have tried to mimic or reproduce paranormal abilities. Some governments have even gone so far as to create their own Paragons from human materials, in attempt to genetically create an artificial Paragon. Such attempts typically end in failure or termination of the subject. Most such subjects tend to be malformed or psychologically unbalanced, generally citing lack of empathy and/or violent tendencies. 'Power Manipulation' There have been some instances in which Paragons have lost their powers altogether, usually through strange external means, though most often through an individual with Power Transferral. Others have been given powers through similar means, or have had their powers reinstated. 'De-Powered Paragons' Most de-powered Paragons are the result of Power Transferral, though some other conditions can remove a power. A psychological block (such as undergoing some sort of trauma or through telepathic influence), a lobotomy or some other artificial means. Some effects, such as Power Nullifying ability, are temporary. When power nullification is in effect, it suppresses the meta-gene. When power transferral is in effect, the meta-gene is masked entirely. Despite effectively becoming "standard" humans, some depowered Paragons consider themselves cultural metas, despite not having powers. The depowered Paragons tend to be unaffiliated with any radical groups but some do band together to form small groups or stick with their former groups for safety or out of familiarity. There are some implications that de-powered Paragons can still produce Paragon offspring. Depowered Paragons are generally divided into two categories: *'Pans:' Stands for P'ass '''A's 'N'ormal. These are former Paragons who now appear completely human. *'''Rems: Stands for Remnants. These are former Paragons left with some artifact of their former powers, such as horns, bone crests, wings or odd tentacles. Re-Powered Paragons Some former Paragons have been repowered by various processes. This overwhelmingly only occurs through means of Power Transferral. There are other ways, however. Some rare cases exist in which an Paragons lost their power, only to have it re-emerge during a traumatic incident. Such individuals tend to spawn the same power as before, though some extremely rare exceptions exist.